Pattern sprinkler



1958 A. T. STANGLE ET AL 2,824,765

PATTERN SPRINKLER Filed Sept. 9, 1955' United States Patent PATTERN SPRINKLER Arthur T. Stangle, Vincennes Township, Knox County,

Ind., and William F. Primus, Allison Township, Lawrence County, Ill.

Application September 9,1955, Serial No. 533,310

4 Claims. (Cl. 299-18) This invention relates to a pattern sprinkler, and more particularly to a sprinkling or irrigating device adapted to discharge water over an area of patterned or configured outline, such as a rectangular or a polygonal area.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which a sprinkler rotates about a vertical axis and has a valve associated therewith to alternately increase and diminish the rate of discharge of water therefrom so that at selected predetermined directions, the discharge of water will be greater and will travel a greater distance from the device than in other directions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple and trouble-free device of this character.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having means for varying the trajectory at which water is discharged from the sprinkler at predetermined locations in the rotation of the device about a vertical axls.

A further object is to provide a device of this character adapted to throw water into corners of rectangular or polygonal areas, which is provided with means accommodating adjustment thereof to vary the angular relation at which maximum trajectory or throw of the water occurs.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of the device in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged axial sectional view of a portion of the device and taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the pattern of sprinkling operation produced. by the device.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates a frame which includes a base 12, a tubular upright column 14, and means, such as a tubular portion 16 and a coupling 18, for connection with a conduit or other source of supply of water under pressure. At its upper end the column 14 mounts and communicates with an enlarged head or hollow chamber portion 20. A conduit 22 projects from the head 20 and mounts a nozzle 24. The head 20 is rotated by any suitable means. Thus the parts 22 and 24 may be so oriented relative to the head 28 that water discharging therethrough produces a rotative force tending to rotate the head 20. In this connection the head 20 is rotatably mounted upon the column 14 and suitable sealing means (not shown) are provided therebetween. The conduit 22 and its nozzle 24 discharge water within a predetermined circular area, as within the area indicated by the circular line 26 in Fig. 4.

A second tube or conduit 28 communicates with and projects from the head 20 preferably substantially in a radial relation opposite conduit 28 and is preferably inclined upwardly and outwardly, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The tube 28 is preferably externally screwthreaded at 30 adjacent its outer end and has a cap screwthreaded thereon, said cap having an internally screwthreaded skirt portion 32 and an end wall 34. The end wall 34 has an aperture 36 formed therein slightly eccentrically thereof, the spacing of the center of the aperture from the center of end wall 34 being less than the diameter of said aperture so that the axis of the tube 28 extends through the aperture 36.

A pair of spaced bushings or bearing members 38 encircle the tube 28 and serve to journal a sleeve 40 substantially concentrically with the tube 28. The outer end of the sleeve 40 is externally screw-threaded and mounts a cap having an internally screw-threaded skirt portion 42 and an outer end wall 44 which bears in face engagement with the outer surface of the wall 34. A screw-threaded aperture 46 is formed in the wall 44 eccentrically thereof with its axis spaced from the center of wall 44 less than its diameter so that the axis of the tube 40 passes therethrough. The aperture 46 may project at any selected angle to the axis of the tube 40, but preferably is not displaced more than five degrees from the axis of the sleeve 40. The neck portion of a nozzle 48 is screw-threaded or otherwise mounted in the aperture 46 with its bore 50 communicating with the aperture 36 of the plate 34 at all times. As best seen in Fig. 2, the aperture 36 will be offset vertically or upwardly relative to the axis of the tube 28.

At its lower or inner end the sleeve 40 mounts an annular abutment 52, as by screw-threading said abutment thereon. Another annular abutment 54 is formed on the sleeve 40 adjacent to the inner end of the skirt 42. A plurality of longitudinal exteriorly projecting ribs 56, preferably equally spaced, are formed upon the sleeve 40 to extend from the abutment 54 toward the abutment 52 but terminates spaced from the abutment 52. The projections 56 constitute splines for keying a gear 58 relative to the sleeve 40, said gear having external gear teeth 60 and having a central bore adapted for snug sliding fit upon the sleeve 40 and notched to fit around the splines 56. Thus the gear 58 is splined to the sleeve 40 in its normal position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the same being spring-pressed against the abutment ring 54 by a coil spring 62 bearing thereagainst at one end and bearing against the abutment 52 at its opposite end. By virtue of the slidable splined arrangement of the gear 58 upon the sleeve 40, the angular orientation thereof relative to the sleeve 40 may be varied at will, for purposes to be described.

A ring 64 is supported upon arms or struts 66 projecting upwardly and outwardly from a collar or ring 68 anchored at selected elevation upon the column 14, as by means of a set-screw 70 or like securing member. The ring 64 has equally spaced radial teeth 72 formed upon itsupper'surface to *define an annular rack. The rack ring 64 is of such diameter and is so oriented relative to the gear 58 that the gear teeth 60 mesh with the teeth 72 of the annular rack 64. The number of teeth 72 upon the rack 64 will preferably be an exact multiple of the number of teeth 60 upon the gear 58. Thus if a triangular pattern is to be sprinkled, there will be three times as many teeth 72 as there are teeth 60. If the area to be sprinkled is square, then four times as many teeth 72 will be provided as compared to the number of teeth 60. In the case of a hexagonal pattern, the number of teeth 72 will be six times the number of teeth 60.

The conduits 22 and 28 will be so proportioned that the quantity and force of water available for discharge at the conduit 28 exceeds that discharged through the nozzle 24 connected with the conduit 22, that is, the range or throw of water discharged at 28 will be greater than that discharged at 24. The quantity of water discharged at 28 at any instant will depend upon the ex- Patented Feb. 25,1958.

tent of registry between the bore 50 of the nozzle 48 and the aperture 36. The amount of eccentricity of these two apertures will preferably be equal, so that at one point in each revolution of the wall 44 the apertures 50 and 36 register and a greater quantity of water and a greater throw of water is provided than at other rotative points, so that the corner portions of the area to be sprinkled, as outlined by the line 75, will be reached. Thereafter, as the bore 50 of the nozzle 48 passes out of full register with the aperture 36 in the movement toward the position of minimum register, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the distance that water is thrown by the nozzle 48 decreases to a minimum as indicated by the center point between the corner portions of the pattern 75.

It will be observed that as the head 20 is caused to rotate through the water reaction produced by discharge of water through the device so as to rotate about a vertical axis, the tube 28 will be swung circularly about that vertical axis. As the tube 28 swings to traverse the annular rack 64, the gear 58 which meshes with the gear teeth 72 of the rack 64 is caused to rotate. R0- tation of the gear 58 is transmitted to the sleeve 40 and the cap 42, 44, thereby rotating the end wall 44 of the cap and bodily swinging the nozzle 48 in a circular path to alternately place its bore 50 in register with the aperture 36 and then to withdraw it from such register to the maximum eccentric position illustrated in Fig. 2. In cases where the nozzle 48 is located upon an axis at an angle to the axis of the tube 28 and the sleeve 40, the rotation of the sleeve 40 and the cap 42, 44 will entail continuous change in the angle of trajectory of the nozzle. The arrangement of the parts will preferably be such that the maximum trajectory for greatest throw will occur when the nozzle bore 50 registers with the aperture 36. The variation in trajectory is a further factor in controlling the distance from the standard 10 to which water is thrown at diiferent angular or rotative positions of the parts.

In the event the device is so situated that the points of'maximum throw of'th'e sprinkler do not coincide 'with the corners of the space to be sprinkled, the gear 58 may be slid toward the left, as illustrated in Fig. 2, against the action of the spring 62 to disengage it from the rack teeth 72 and then the arm 28 may be rotated about its vertical axis to a new orientation of the parts, whereupon the gear 58 can be again meshed with the rack teeth 72. Alternatively, the gear 58 may be slid completely free of the spline rib projections 56 and adjusted angularly or rotatively, if that should be desired.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A pattern sprinkler comprising a support, a water discharge conduit rotatable on said support on a vertical axis and projecting laterally from said support, a member coaxial with and rotatable on the end of said conduit, a nozzle carried eccentrically by said member, means for rotating said member in predetermined timed relation to the rotation of said conduit and an eccentrically apertured member fixedly secured to and transversely spanning said conduit, said nozzle communicating with the eccentric aperture at all rotative positions thereof, said apertured member and rotatable member cooperating to define a valve.

,2. A pattern sprinkler comprising an upright water tube, a hollow head rotatable on and communicating with said head, a water discharge on said head for rotating said head, a conduit projecting laterally from and communicating with said head, a wall spanning the end of said conduit and having an eccentric aperture, a sleeve rotatable on said conduit, a cap on said sleeve having an end wall bearing on said first wall and having an eccentric discharge aperture, a gear on said sleeve, and an annular rack carried by and concentric with said upright tube, said gear meshing with said rack.

3. A pattern sprinkler comprising an upright water tube, a hollow head rotatable on and communicating with said head, a water discharge on said head for rotating said head, a conduit projecting laterally from and communicating with said head, a wall spanning the end of said conduit and having an eccentric aperture, a sleeve rotatable on said conduit, a cap on said sleeve having an end wall bearing on said first wall and having an eccentric discharge aperture, a gear on said sleeve, an annular rack carried by and concentric with said upright tube, said gear meshing with said rack, means slidably splining said gear on said sleeve, and spring means urging said gear in rack-meshing position.

4. A pattern sprinkler comprising an upright water tube, a hollow head rotatable on and communicating with said head, a water discharge on said head for rotating said head, a conduit projecting laterally from and communicating with said head, a wall spanning the end of said conduit and having an eccentric aperture, a sleeve rotatable on said conduit, a cap on said sleeve having an end wall bearing on said first wall and having an eccentric discharge aperture, a gear on said sleeve, an annular rack carried by and concentric with said upright tube, said gear meshing with said rack, and a nozzle communicating with said discharge and having its bore angularly displaced relative to the axis of said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,070 Macnicol July 9, 1918 1,637,413 Elder Aug. 2, 1927 2,601,559 Riblet June 24, 1952 2,766,065 Joysle'n Oct 19, 1956 

